Chapter 10 - The Truth About Arthur-10
Delaney leaned her back against the cool glass wall of the corridor, looking down at her bandaged wrists.
"I didn't know, Rowan," Delaney whispered, her voice trembling. "I swear to God on my life... I had no idea what my father did."
"I know, Delaney," Rowan said gently, setting his hand on her shoulder. "Detective Miller confirmed it. Arthur kept you completely in the dark. He buried that money in the vault to ensure you'd be protected if he ever got caught, but he realized too late that he was binding you to a dangerous secret."
"He was my hero," Delaney sobbed, covering her face. "Growing up, I thought he was the most honest, selfless man in the world. He worked double shifts at that prison to buy my clothes... and the entire time, it was stolen money from a violent robbery."
Rowan pulled Delaney into a gentle, supportive hug, letting her cry against his shoulder until her breathing slowed down.
"Your father made terrible choices, Delaney," Rowan said quietly. "But you aren't your father. You survived a nightmare to protect our kids. You fought Victor Vance with everything you had."
Delaney pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, looking into Rowan’s steady, gray-blue eyes.
"What's going to happen to the money?" she asked.
"The four million dollars is being returned to the state treasury escrow fund," Rowan explained. "The police are seizing all assets linked to Sterling and Victor. The case is closed, Delaney. It's completely over."
Delaney looked through the glass window into Room 412, watching Micah help Elsie feed a piece of cinnamon roll to her stuffed bear.
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"I failed them, Rowan," Delaney whispered, her heart breaking anew. "I left them in that house..."
"You didn't fail them, Delaney," Rowan stated firmly, taking both of her hands into his own. "You saved them by keeping Victor away from the house. But we are going to change things going forward. No more secrecy. No more split-week miscommunications. We are going to raise our children together—as a unified team."
